The One With The Episodes She’s Not Happy With.
Much like any piece of art, Friends is very much the product of its era. After originally premiering in 1994, the iconic sitcom is still engrained in popular culture and remains among the most celebrated TV shows.
However, just like any other show, the beloved comedy is the product of the time in which it was made.
For example, Chandler and Joey were obsessed with Baywatch. ‘Brimful of Asha’ by Cornershop played over the speakers when Ross moved into his new apartment. Hardly a mobile phone was in sight.
On this note, the current attitude and sensibilities that modern viewers have to a variety of social issues might not be the most comfortable fit to some of the plotlines that unfolded in Friends.
Simply put, some people might not have any issue with Friends, others might be perplexed by certain plotlines.
Each to their own.
In an interview with USA Today, Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman was asked how different Friends would be if it was made today.
Aside from technological changes, Kauffman said that the plotline involving Chandler’s transgender father, played by Kathleen Turner, would be handled differently.
“I think we didn’t have the knowledge about transgender people back then, so I’m not sure if we used the appropriate terms. I don’t know if I would have known those terms back then. I think that’s the biggest one,” she said.
When asked about her favourite episode, Kauffman said that she loves The One with the Prom Video, The One with the Embryos, and all the Thanksgiving episodes.
Solid choices.
However, she did express some regrets over the Thanksgiving episode that featured Brad Pitt’s character, Will.
In the episode, the star of Se7en and Fight Club played a childhood friend of Ross’ that absolutely hated Rachel.
As the episode develops, we learn that Will, Ross, and a foreign exchange student from Thailand had formed an “I hate Rachel” club. Will then revealed that they spread a rumour in high school that Rachel was a hermaphrodite, something that Kauffman regrets.
“I might have not done the hermaphrodite stuff today if I had that to do over in the one with Brad Pitt (The One with the Rumour),” she said.
You can read the whole interview here.
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